When Yuki came back to her senses, she saw a stranger standing in front of her. It was a woman who had light black hair tied up in a bun with a dragon clip made of jade holding it together. She wore a black silk robe that had dragon patterns on it with a belt of the same color and silver embroidery on the edges of her clothes. On her face were gentle features of a woman around thirty years old and had light make up on, accentuating her beauty.
Yuki stared at the woman's gentle smile in front of her until she saw something moving beside the woman. It was a man in his twenties wearing a black silk robe with golden dragon patterns and silver embroidery. His shoulder-length black hair swayed gently in the wind and his eyes were narrowed into small slits as he stared at Yuki.
"So this the last Snow Dragon?" The man spoke in a deep and low voice as he circled around Yuki.
"She doesn't look much." He said bluntly and placed his hands behind his back.
"She's the last Snow Dragon and just awakened. Zloto, her first spirit skill is a zone skill." The woman replied in a polite voice as she walked in front of Yuki and smiled gently at her.
"First Spirit skill is a zone type skill?" Zloto's eyes widened as he glanced at Yuki.
"Are you sure?" He asked the woman and stood beside her.
"I saw it myself, they are just children. We can't do anything to them." She said softly and glanced at Yuki with pity in her eyes.
Zloto narrowed his eyes and glanced at Yuki with curiosity in his eyes. He tapped his chin lightly with his fingers and walked around Yuki again.
"She might have a chance then at reviving the Snow Dragon clan. She meets the requirements to enter the Dragon Sect." Zloto muttered and stopped in front of Yuki.
Yuki swallowed once she heard the man's words.
Dragon Sect? She hasn't heard of it but it doesn't stop her from understanding the power one must have to have such a name, and considering the two people seem to have dragon blood in them…
"Ria! Sister!" Yuki shouted and looked around frantically trying to find her sister.
The two people in front of her glanced at each other, and the woman put on a smile that made her seem gentle.
"Your sister is alright, we saved her before those three scoundrels could do anything to her. We already know where you come from as your information was spread like wildfire, and sent her back to your village while healing her wounds." The woman replied gently.
"Where am I?" Yuki asked, staring at her surroundings. All she saw were rocks and cliffs, and not to mention she was still on the mountain.
"You are in the Dragon Plane. You can think of it as a mini sized separate world that is connected to the main world." The woman replied and pointed at a large valley in the distance.
Yuki, following her hand, looked over and saw a large stone building with three dragon statues in front of it with an intricate design. The entrance seemed to be guarded by guards wearing black silk robes with dragon patterns and golden embroidery.
"Th-this..." Yuki muttered, astounded by what she saw.
"This is the Dragon Sect. It is where you are going to train as a cultivator." Zloto said bluntly, crossing his arms in front of him and his eyes glancing at the valley in the distance.
"B-but I was going to join the Star Knights." Yuki said quietly with her head down, thinking about her shattered dream of being a Star Knight.
"Star Knights? Ha! They barely know anything about us dragons and have a nobility system which is what you know as ranks. Here, no one cares about your level. If you win, you're respected. That's it." Zloto said laughing coldly, trying to stifle a laugh, but failing miserably.
"Dragons?" Yuki muttered and remembered the dragon that appeared when those three men were going to attack her.
"Yup, you will learn about the other planes, other races, and what being a dragon really means. Once you reach level 50, you can transform willingly as a dragon." Zloto said with a smug grin on his face, as if he was proud of himself.
"Will I ever see my sister again?" Yuki asked, clenching her hands into fists and holding them to her chest, trying to control her emotions.
Zloto stared at Yuki for a while and finally replied, "Yes, when you reach level 50 you have the authority to visit other planes. Or you can request a leave with an Elder."
Yuki was happy that she was able to see her sister again one day, but being away from her home for so long and with a different culture... She didn't know what to do. She suddenly felt the urge to go home, but at the same time, she was curious about this place and wanted to learn more about herself, considering that this place would be the home of all dragons.
"Come, Yuki. Let's introduce you to the others." The woman said, smiling gently at her.
Yuki glanced at the woman with uncertainty in her eyes, but didn't refuse her invitation. She nodded and walked beside the woman. Zloto, on the other hand, walked in front of them as he led the way to the sect.
After walking for an hour, they reached the entrance. When Zloto and the woman showed their badges that had a dragon pattern on it, the guards bowed slightly and let them pass, but when they saw Yuki they frowned, obviously wondering why she didn't have a badge and wasn't wearing dragon silk robes like the people around her.
Yuki gazed in wonder at the scenery around her. There were tall buildings in the shape of pagodas with a green tiled roof. Around the buildings were exquisite flower gardens, and some training areas like an open field with targets. There was a faint sound of gushing water that made Yuki feel as if she was home. The mountain's high peaks and the clear blue sky gave a sense of elegance to the area, almost as if the sect was floating in the sky itself.